Improvement in friction-clutches for foot-powers



A. HOEFFER & A; SENEFP. Friction-Clutch for Foot Power.

Patented Oct. 29,1878.

N- PETERS. PHOTO-LITHUGRAP UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

ALBERT HOEFFER AND ALBERT SENEFF, OF POTTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA; SAID SENEFF ASSIGNOR TO SAID HOEFFER.

IMP R OVEMENT IN FRlCTlON-CLUTCHES FOR FOOT-POWERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 209,395., dated October 29, 1878; application filed May 3, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALBERT HOEFFER and ALBERT SENEFF, of Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of- Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Friction-Gears for Foot-Powers and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, an d exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the collar 0; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the pulley D detached.

Similar letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to an improved friction-gear for foot-powers; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully shown and described.

In the drawings, A A are standards, having bearings I) b for the shaft a. B is the fly-wheel, which is secured upon shaft a. It has upon the side of its hub a circumferential notched rim, 0, engaging with a similarly-constructed rim, d upon a flat collar, 0, which is loose upon shaft to. D is a cone-pulley having two faces, at e, for belts or straps d e, which are wound in opposite directions, the former and heavier being attached to a treadle, '1, and the latter to a suitably arranged tensionspring, S. Both belts may be, and are preferably, wound three, four, or more times around the pulley, for the purpose of obtaining greater leverage and power in operating the machine.

Collar G has upon the side opposite the notched rim (1 three or more inclined recesses, i i, into which fit corresponding projections 7t- 76 upon the side of pulley D, which is provided with a large recess, Z, to accommodate the edge of collar 0, as shown.

K is a clamp, secured upon shaft to by a setscrew, it, for the purpose of adjusting pulley D in relation to collar 0, and preventing it from sliding so far upon the shaft as to prevent disengagement between the projections c k and inclined recesses t i; and s is a small rubber washer adjusted between the hub of the balance-wheel and the collar O, for the purpose of preventing friction during the operation.

The operation is as follows By pressing the treadle in a downward direction the belt cl is unwound thus rotating pulley D and winding strap 6. By the rotation of pulley D the pressure upon the inclined projections 70 k of pulley D upon the inclined sides or recesses M of collar 0 forces the latter sidewise, thus causing the fly-wheel andshaft to rotate by the notched hub c engaging with the notched collar 0. When the pressure upon the t-readleis released, the continued revolution of the flywheel with its notched hub disen gages the latter from the collar 0, which is now turnedin a reverse direction by the pulley D actuated by spring S, the same motion serving to unwind belt 6 and wind belt (1 for a repetition of the operation. 7

It is obvious that a simple collar having a notched rim, and secured rigidly upon the shaft independent of the fly-wheel, may take the place of the notched hub of the latter.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- In combination with the shaft to and notched hub or collar 0, secured rigidly thereupon, the loose collar 0, having notched rim (P, and inclined recesses i t, rubber washer 8, loose conepulley D, having recess 1 and inclined projections k 70, straps d e, treadle T, and spring S, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as described, for the purpose herein shown and specified.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses J. KURTEN, H. K. WEsToN. 

